


Colder Royalty

by anator3000



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Background Bumbleby, F/F, I Was Sick When I Wrote This, Slow To Update, So many tropes, Why Did I Write This?, i dont know how to tag this, i hate my writing, it's pretty cliche, like a lot of tropes, who knows if ill finish this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-11-07 16:28:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20820326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anator3000/pseuds/anator3000
Summary: Excitement and dread accompany the news of the engagement and upcoming wedding of Vale's Prince Neptune and Atlas's Princess Weiss. Preparations are being made all throughout the kingdom, including the addition of a talented baker, Ruby Rose, to the royal staff. It's only after Ruby takes the job that things begin to change...Secrets are uncovered, people are hurt, and the wedding of the century is at risk...If the summary still sucks, I'll fix it. I'm hoping to actually complete this fic and not abandon it like all of my others...





	1. The Offer

**Author's Note:**

> So... I wrote this while I was sick and on my phone. There will be errors, this might even be terrible, who knows. I do not have a proofreader and for someone who failed English class multiple times, I am trying my best...

A bell chimed as the door to a small bakery opened, signaling that a new patron had just come in. In front of the counter, a frail old lady counted individual coins, a slow process of payment, but the baker on the opposite side only smiled patiently. 

The baker looked to be only about 15 with the presence of pure sunshine and a bright smile to match. She wore an apron covered in flour, some even ending up in her hair that started out as a dark brown, almost black, and faded into red at the tips. Her eyes shimmered like the purest of silver and her cheeks flushed from the almost constant heat of the ovens she surrounded herself with.

“That should be 15 lien, dear.” The Baker did a quicker count of the money and nodded to the woman, handing over a bag with the most delicious aroma.

“Thank you Miss Ruby.”

“Anytime Mrs. Calavera!” The Baker waved to the lady as she left the shop, looking up with a larger grin at who had just walked in.

“Yang, aren’t you supposed to be in Mistral by now?” The sentence was directed to a taller woman with a wild blonde mane for hair and bright lilac eyes that almost turned red in the right light. Her tanned skin was lightly covered in soot, her defined muscles evidence of her occupation. Her black shirt was thin and torn in some places as well as her pants. Yang grinned at the baker, throwing her hands behind her head in a casual manner, her biceps flexing.

“Haven’t you heard little sis, the Atlas court is in town,” Ruby’s eyes widened, the statement grabbing her attention, “Guess who’s royal highness just got engaged to the youngest Schnee princess?”

Ruby groaned in annoyance, clearly not enthusiastic at the news. The presence of any foreign royalty meant a complete shutdown of all ports and regulated borders, meaning that the bakery wouldn’t be receiving any of it’s expensive spices from Menagerie until the borders were up and running again. It also didn’t help that two of the snobbiest families would be in-laws in a few weeks.

It would be a complete understatement to say that the kingdom of Vale didn’t like it’s royal family. The King and Queen were almost non-existent, choosing to leave their son to deal with the monarchy while they traveled the world. The Prince, Prince Neptune, was the real problem, being a complete and utter douche bag. It was definitely a shock to find out that he was getting married, due to his reputation of sleeping with anything that moved. He barely acknowledged the needs of his kingdom, leaving the job to his advisers and the others on the Valesian court who happen to also be tired of his antics.

Then there was the Atlas royals, who were perhaps the most close minded, snobbiest, and coldest monarchy that had ever existed to date. The family was said to be made out of pure ice, hair as white as snow and eyes a frosty color of blue. They wouldn’t be caught dead with anyone of a lesser class than them and were especially cruel to the faunus. What can you expect from one of the richest and most impressive kingdoms in the world. The King was a narcissistic dictator, his Queen, a lonely drunk, and their three children, the richest brats in the world.

“Did you forget to go to the town meeting this morning, like always?” Ruby knew that the hour of hardly any business was suspicious, at least now she knows that it has nothing to do with the qualities of her food.

“Can’t you just picture the little bundle of joy that Prince Neptune and his fiance, Princess Weiss, will create, oh what a fun time that’ll be for our kingdom!” The blonde’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, her views on the two royals, clear.

“Although, I’ve heard that the princess is a sight to see.” The blonde leaned on the counter, as if her words were some type of kept secret. “They say that she's as cold as the rest of her family but with skin as pure as fresh snow in winter, except for a scar covering her left eye.”

The sound of a carriage parking, along with the ringing of the entrance’s bell, caused the two sisters to look up. Standing in the doorway, dressed in a Valesian royal uniform, was an older woman with pale blonde hair tied up in a bun, and emerald eyes behind round glasses. She carried herself with a stiff kind of confidence. In her hands was a quill and parchment attached to a clipboard. She shifted her gaze from the paper, to the two girls, specifically Ruby.

“You. I’m looking for the owner of this bakery, judging from your attire, you must work here, can you fetch me a-” She squinted down at the papers in her hands, “Ruby Rose? I have some royal business to discuss with her.” Both the woman’s and Yang’s eyes landed on Ruby, her expression filled with curiosity and shock. She rinsed the flour off her hands quickly, drying them on a nearby rag, and stepped around the counter.

“Her is me… er- I mean… That’s me! I’m Ruby Rose, uh yeah... “ The woman arched an eyebrow in question before closing her eyes and sighing. Ruby felt strangely nervous in front of the woman who was clearly important, hoping that she wasn’t under arrest, not that she would have done anything to be arrested for. 

“I’m Glynda Goodwitch, the prince’s Equerry, I’m here on behalf of his highness to ask that you work as the head baker for his highness’s royal wedding. He’s been adamant that it be you specifically, having had one of your pastries and found them to be one of a kind. You would of course have to move into the castle and get acquainted with the kitchen staff, but don’t worry, as soon as the wedding is over, you will be sent home, with plenty of gold of course.” The way Glynda’s tone sounded, the request seemed more like a command, and Ruby’s was a bit scared of what would happen should she refuse. Working for the prince, who she hated with all her being? What to do…

“Ha! As if Ruby would ever work for Prince Not-enough-brain-cells! Go ahead and tell ‘em Rubes, No. Way.” Yang punctuated the last two words, emphasizing her point.

“Well that’s a shame, we were even willing to offer you a vacant bakery in Beacon, oh well…” The older woman grinned at the speechless expression that formed on the bakers face, Yang’s cockier one falling. Beacon was the wealthiest city in the kingdom, home to the royal castle and many businesses thrive there. Ruby had dreamed of owning a bakery there ever since she was little.

“W-Wait! I-I’ll do it! When do we leave?” 

“Now, but I’ll let you pack a bag first, you’ll of course be given a royal baker’s uniform and all the baking equipment you could ever want, but a set of nightly wear and whatever else should be brought with you.”

X

“I really do hate it here, it’s all a bit too… green.” Weiss looked at the same view her brother saw from inside their ice blue and white carriage, finding it quite beautiful and a nice break from the constant white fields of snow in Atlas. The terrain was littered with dozens of wild flowers, blooming with the coming of summer. Every now and then they would pass small huts belonging to the hunters and huntresses. Weiss had only ever heard of them from fairy tales, not having them in such a military based kingdom like the one she left behind. It was a strange custom to rely on trained citizens rather than royal knights to protect them from Grimm. The whole idea of a kingdom as lenient as Vale was such a foreign thing to Weiss.

“Whitley, please refrain from saying anything negative about your sister’s future home. We wouldn’t want to upset the future queen of Vale.” The princess changed her gaze back to her father, who sat with a posture that exceeded as much power as he held if he were sitting on the throne back home… but Atlas wasn’t her home anymore. No, instead she would spend the rest of her life in Vale, standing beside a man who she hadn’t met, but was expected to marry in a few weeks. She had been hysterical when she was told the news of her own engagement, almost throwing up in the dining room where her father had mentioned it as casually as saying how his day had gone. It wasn’t her decision though, nor was it her place to question her father.

She had heard tales of her fiance, how he slept around while his kingdom fended for itself, rumor had it that the royal vault was empty due to the Prince’s expensive lifestyle. Weiss imagined that the only reason her father had arranged this wedding was to gain control over Vale indirectly. It was unlikely that the Prince would oppose any commend that her father gave him, disguised as helpful guidance. She assumed that her only role in this was to bear an heir and drink herself to death like her mother had done.

“I’ve heard rather nice things about Vale, one of the servants spoke fondly about the agriculture and the charming architecture.” The princess felt the need to defend the kingdom from her family who no doubt thought themselves better than the less advanced land.

“Since when do you converse with the servants?” Her father said in a harsher tone. Weiss lowered her head at the piercing gaze of her father. His temper was short and made any conversation seem like poking an Ursa with a stick.

“They honestly expect something like that to protect them? I’m shocked that Vale hasn’t been reduced to rubble!” Weiss followed her brother’s eyes again to gaze upon the giant walls that surrounded the kingdom. From the various things Weiss had read about Vale and it’s inner workings, she knew that despite being a less advanced city, it held its own against invaders with a combination of fortified walls and amazing weaponry. While Atlas defended itself with sentries and automated weapons, Vale was known for their 30 stories tall wall surrounding the entire city, high and study enough to stop a Goliath, with a different post every 10 stories. 

Weiss tilted her head back to see the tiny specks of people who guarded to top of the wall, fascinated by the gigantic structure. She couldn’t imagine building something that big in a kingdom like Vale.

Vale solely survived on their access to steel. It was in their armor, weapons, and siege weapons. In Weiss’s opinion, the one thing stopping Vale from besting the other kingdoms was their population of Grim and their lack of dust, for dust was what separated the lesser kingdoms from the advanced ones. It was one of the reasons why Atlesians carried such an arrogant attitude wherever they went, finding themselves in a better kingdom then everyone else.

When the two horses serving as their entourage stopped in front of them, Weiss realized that they reached the gates of the kingdoms lower city, Patch. Her gut twisted in knots at the fact that once she passed through, her life was officially over. Her identity wouldn’t be her own anymore. She wouldn’t be Weiss Schnee, she’d be the queen consort of Vale… Prince Neptune’s wife. She instantly felt sick to her stomach. A part of her thought she might actually throw up in the carriage. But then the horses started to move.

X

Ruby stumbled as she was rushed into a room in the servant’s quarters with a new uniform in her hand, flinching at the sound of the door to the room slamming shut. The last 20 minutes had been a blur, everyone shoving her from place to place with a sense of urgency she didn’t really understand. She was shocked to see that to everyone else, this wedding was incredibly important. Ruby shook her thoughts from her head and took the time to look at her new room… and it brought such disappointment. The walls were painted a depressing tan and were bare except for a plain looking clock that hung from a rusty nail. Her bed, no cot was more accurate, had a stiff tan pillow and one crisp white sheet. She at least had a blanket that folded at the edge, decorated in a hideous lined pattern. She had a brown wooden wardrobe that was already filled with additional uniforms and bedside table that matched. On that was a small lamp and a piece of parchment that had some of her additional duties and requirements, as well as a schedule. Her eyes almost bulged out when she read how early she would be getting up. She was surprised that it was even earlier than she rose for the bakery, going from waking up at six to now four. Ruby took the time to read through the words thoroughly, frowning at parts, pouting at others.

Her duties included preparing the ingredients for that day, baking whatever was requested of her, and cleaning up after she was done. She was required to only wear her uniform within the castle and keep her hair tied up at all times. She must only address those who outrank her with proper terms and show the utmost respect. She was to stay within the castle grounds until after the wedding where she would be able to leave and would receive compensation in the form of gold and a newly purchased bakery in Beacon. She was not allowed to leave the kitchen during working hours unless called upon. She would be given a break in the middle of the day and time to eat meals and rest at night. Failure to meet these demands would result in her removal from the castle and a hefty fine for wasting the Prince’s time, a fine that Ruby couldn’t afford, so instead she’d spend her days in the dungeon waiting for the unlikely chance of Yang making enough money to free her.

Ruby let out a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. She gazed at the clock, finding that she had the whole day to familiarize herself with the kitchen before she would spend her first night in the castle. She already felt like she was walking on eggshells, even if she had yet to actually start her job. She quickly changed into her uniform which consisted of a plain white shirt, a tan skirt, black tights, and simple brown shoes. The lack of color was getting a bit annoying, her hair being the only thing to contrast the white and browns she was surrounded by.

The baker opened the door, surprised to find people waiting for her.

“Salutations!” A girl in an outfit similar to Ruby’s with bright orange hair and a face full of freckles greeted her. Next to her was a scrawny blonde haired boy who was dressed in armor that seemed way too big for him. He offered a small wave, smiling kindly at her.

“My name is Penny and I’m part of the maintenance crew for the castle! This is Jaune, he’s a squire under one of our best knights, Lady Pyrrha. She sent him to help me welcome you! I was on my way to fix one of the stoves so I can take you to the kitchens as well!” Ruby was a bit taken aback by the girl’s overly friendly nature but smiled nervously anyways. She let Penny lead the way and tried to make small talk to hopefully have some sort of support through this whole mess.

“I didn’t know girls could become knights?” She asked. Jaune finally spoke to her, still just as awkward as before,

“Most kingdoms don’t allow it but a few years ago the prince made a law giving women more chances to participate in the military and even sign up for the melees held in the arena.” The thought of the prince doing something like that shocked Ruby.

“Rumor has it he did it only to get more women in the castle.” They entered the kitchen, finding the voice to belong to a tall, stoic man with long tied back raven hair and a single pink streak almost getting in the way of his magenta eyes. His outfit was pretty much the male equivalent to Ruby’s except he had a white apron tied to his front.

“But we got Pyrrha in the end! And don’t you feel tingly when she beats all those big guys at sword fighting every year!” The comment was followed by the crash of several pans, some being tossed and thrown around the kitchen. Ruby even had to duck to avoid one slamming into her face.

“Nora watch it! You’re gonna take out the newbie before she’s even started!” A tan monkey faunus with spiky blond hair and a matching tail came up from behind them, most noticeably wearing an unbuttoned white shirt, exposing his well defined chest.

“Sun, your shirt.” The man from before commented.

“Not again! I swear these things don’t stay closed!” The faunus went to work on his shirt, while Ruby looked between everyone, very confused.

“AHA! Found it!” From out of nowhere a girl with short bright orange hair and the excitement of someone charged with lightning jumped up with an accomplished look and one frying pan in her hand. She placed it on the table next to the raven haired man with a huge smile.

“Now we can make pancakes!” The girl turned and seemed to finally notice Ruby and her smile got even wider.

“Oh my god, you’re here! Now we can  _ really _ make pancakes!”

“Nora…”

“Oh, right. My name is Nora, I’m the Assistant Chef.” She pointed to the man beside her, “This is Ren, he’s the Head Chef and he’ll cook you anything if you ask really nicely!” Ruby was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed, second guessing her choice to come, when the blonde faunus from before stepped closer, his buttons in the wrong holes of his shirt.

“I’m Sun, the Royal Taster.”

“That’s a job?!” Ruby’s voice changed to one filled with excitement at the thought of getting paid to eat.

“I know right!” Nora joined in.

“Yep, so far I haven’t been poisoned!” Ruby stopped being excited.

She looked around the room filled with such strange characters and wondered what the next few weeks would be like, if she managed not to screw up before then.

X

The group chatted for hours that night, exchanging stories with Ruby about their life in the castle, hearing her tell them about her bakery and stories from when she and Yang were kids. She had met Pyrrha later on and some of the other house staff including Oscar, one of the stable boys, Ilia, one of the housekeepers, and Cardin the blacksmith who was a bit of a jerk but kept to himself. It was close to two when a panting messenger came to the kitchens, panicked and out of breath.

“T-The princess… is here.”

Everything went into full panic mode.


	2. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that I'm horrible at writing but I try. I'm trying to add in more detail and not have it sound so stiff, if that makes any sense. I have a vague idea for where I want this story to go but any suggestions would be helpful, I also would love to hear whatever critiques you guys might have.

Weiss was led into her own chambers on the other side of the castle from Neptune’s. She was relieved when she heard that she wouldn’t have to see him much until she sold her life away to him. Her room was unnecessarily lavish, having enough space for four people living there, let alone one. Exotic make-up and powders decorated a vanity off to the side, most likely the prince’s subtle way of telling her she was worth more being pretty. A small couch rested in front of a fireplace, logs ready to be burnt. The floors were covered in different rugs and it was like the room breathed the softness one would expect from a future wife. The princess found herself exhausted even at the early hour and flopped gracefully onto the large bed in her room, feeling the expensive silk sheets and handmade quilts on her back. Goosebumps erupted on pale flawless skin.The room felt too cold and isolating. Her dress suddenly became uncomfortable, feeling the corset digging into her skin. She felt a sense of urgency to change but the castle’s seamstress had yet to take her measurements and her clothes had been left in Atlas, knowing she’d be given more here. Really all Weiss wanted was a warm bath and an outfit that didn’t cause her spine to ache. No one had been to her room yet and both curiosity and impatience led to her getting up, ready to look for whoever could get her something else to wear.

She opened the door to her room slowly with a soft creak of the hinges, peeking out to see if anyone was in the halls. Unsurprisingly she found no one there, knowing they would all be working due to her arrival and the importance of pleasing their future queen. She still felt ill at the thought. 

The princess quietly made her way to one of the spiraling staircases, gazing every now and then and the stone work, feeling the different gaps in the brick as she slid her hand along the walls. Apparently her thoughts drifted too far away because she found herself nearly at the bottom of the stairs before crashing into something, falling to her knees, cushioned by her dress. Some kind of powder flew into the air during the tumble but luckily Weiss didn’t hurt herself too badly for something caught fall.

“Oh my god…” A quiet voice whispered from beneath her and her gaze came down to find a girl covered in flour, obviously some kind of servant, holding the empty bag of flour close to her chest. Red and black hair fanned out around the girl’s head, Weiss’s pony tail hanging limply on her right. She smelled of fresh baked bread and blooming roses. Ice blue eyes met wide and panicked sterling silver ones. They were unlike anything the princess had ever seen.

“I am so fired…” The comment from the girl caused Weiss to reel in her thoughts and finally notice that she was basically straddling the poor thing, her hand on either side of the girl’s head, too close for comfort. The princess shot upwards and moved back towards the steps, finally realizing that she too was covered in flour.

“I am so so sorry! Please forgive me!” The girl made a horrible attempt at a bow before shooting up and stepping even closer to Weiss. The princess blushed as the other girl started to dust off the excess flour with her hands, leaving Weiss all too uncomfortable. The princess shook her head at her wild thoughts.

She grabbed the girl’s wrist, stopping her movements in midair. Weiss chose to ignore how soft her skin was, meeting her eyes again.

The girl was terrified. Her eyes showed so much fear. It was like she thought that Weiss was some hungry wolf about to pounce and eat her alive.

“Will you stop being so scared? I’m not going to throw you in a dungeon just for spilling flour on me.” The girl’s eyes seemed to calm but she was still just as tense. Weiss realized she was still holding onto her and released her grip.

“What’s your name?” Weiss knew she shouldn’t have cared. 

“My what?” The princess pinched her nose in frustration.

“Your name, what is it?”

“Ruby, Ruby Rose, your Majesty.” Weiss visibly stiffened at the title, hating it with all her heart.

“I assume you know who I am?” She arched an eyebrow in a questioning matter, feeling less patient with flour all over her. Maybe the dungeon wouldn’t be so bad.

“Yes, your Majesty.” The girl went from scared to timid in a matter of seconds and it left Weiss very confused.

“Would you happen to know where I can find the seamstress? As you can tell I’m in need of a new wardrobe.” Weiss gestured to her dress, even the slightest motion caused flour to kick up in the air.

“Um, actually it’s my first day and I have no clue where anything is except for the servant’s quarters and the kitchen…”

“That explains the flour.”

“Some of the kitchen staff might know, they’re just around the corner!” Without thinking, Ruby grabbed her hand, leading her down the corridor and through several doors. It was so casual and so strange that it felt refreshing to Weiss.

Ruby suddenly stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, her hand still attached to Weiss’s.

“Hey guys!” Her shout brought out several people, all of their eyes zeroing in on Weiss in seconds. Some of their jaws dropped in shock, others opened and closed their mouths like a fish out of water. There were the few that even dropped whatever cooking utensil was in their hands.

“RUBY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” One of the chefs came racing towards them, ripping Ruby’s hand away. As the chef kept on apologizing to Weiss, saying how it was Ruby’s first day and she didn’t know any better, Weiss could only stare dumbly at her hand, now free of Ruby’s.

“Your Majesty please forgive her!” She turned back to Ruby whisper-yelling, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER DRESS!” Ruby grew timid again, apparently not used to being yelled at. Weiss didn’t think it was that bad compared to her father.

“Maybe I can forgive her... if someone could point me in the direction of this castle’s seamstress?” She honestly didn’t want to get Ruby in trouble, it was bad enough that she had fallen over her already, any other punishment would’ve been excessive and too much like what her father would do.

“Of course your Majesty, right this way!” The chef began to lead her out of kitchen, Weiss giving Ruby one last look.

X

Yang had been right. That was all Ruby could say after her colossal mess up with the princess. After Nora had led her away, all of the staff around her ganged up to ask questions, ignoring their other duties.

“Was she as cold as they say?” Jaune had asked.

“How mean was she?” Sun followed up with.

“Did she yell at you?” Ren asked, more concerned about Ruby than any fresh gossip.

It seemed like all anyone knew of the princess was that she was supposed to be some horrible person, but Ruby just saw someone who was tired and in an unfortunate situation.

The thing that troubled her now was, just like Yang said, she was gorgeous. She looked like something straight out of the fairy tales Ruby would read, her face sharp and angular but soft in the right places with those bright blue eyes and long silky hair the color of snow. Even the scar that ran across her eye was just another feature that added to her beauty. The future Queen of Vale was the prettiest person Ruby had ever seen and it threw the baker for a loop.

“You should probably change your uniform, I can’t imagine the look on the Prince’s face to find that you’ve been leaving a trail of baking ingredients behind you.” An amazon-like woman stepped into the kitchen, fitted in shiny armor that reflected the lights inside. Her helmet has in her hands, showing off long red hair that was tied up for ease in combat no doubt.

“Pyrrha! Where did you run off to?” Pyrrha laughed and leaned against a kitchen wall as Ruby removed her apron.

“I can’t stay here forever, the worst that could happen here would be someone stealing the royal cookies.” Ruby froze at the mention of exactly what she had been tempted many times to do already. “I was helping escort the rest of the Atlesian court to their rooms… and that was an  _ ordeal _ .”

“I bet, well I’ll be right back.” 

Ruby made her way back through the already familiar route, coming to a stop in front of her quarters. Her hand rest on the door knob when she heard movement inside the room. Knowing a thing or two from Yang, she felt ready to throw a punch or two if need be. Ruby flung open the door, ready for a fight but stopped at the sight of blonde hair and lilac eyes.

“YANG!? What are you doing here?!” The blacksmith smiled, still covered in soot from earlier.

“Cardin sent for me, said he needed some help with the new throne. Apparently they’re making it out of quartz and ice dust. Cardin doesn’t know shit about dust but as you know, your sis can pretty much do everything men can’t. I asked around and people told me this was your room. I gotta say… it’s pretty crap.” A small laugh escaped the bakers lips, never tiring of her sister’s carefree attitude.

“So… care to tell me why you’re covered in flour?”

X

“...And this here is one of my many portraits I had done by the famous Lady Katt. Now normally I’d be opposed to women dabbling in the arts, but she is quite talented, not to mention lovely.” Weiss rolled her eyes as she continued to just barely listen to her fiance go on and on about his wealth and power and blah blah blah. None of it mattered at the end of the day. Little did he know that without his marriage to her, he’d soon be living on the streets with the beggars, pennyless.

It’s not like the prince wasn’t handsome, he was fairly good looking according to most people’s standards with his tan skin and chiseled jaw. His hair might've been a cry for attention with it’s electric blue color, but that was fixable. No, it was his narcissism and misogynistic ego that repulsed the princess. She couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life with him when being in his presence for five minutes was enough to make her question throwing herself off the castle balcony.

“What do you think, princess?” The question was seemingly directed at her, from a conversation she had honestly tuned out of. Using the years of experience attending all sort of aristocratic gathering and fancy balls (hehehe), Weiss mustered her widest but incredibly fake smile and turned to her future husband.

“I’m sorry, I was too  _ overwhelmed  _ by such artistic talent that I’m afraid I didn’t hear the question.”

“Oh. I was just asking if you had any opinions on-“ A loud crash of metal toppling to the ground interrupted whatever meaningless conversation they were about to have. It sounded like it had come from the ground, the noise carrying through an open window.

“I swear if that squire has scratched another set of armor… that boy really has no place being here. GLYNDA!” His yell brought forth who she assumed to be another servant, one with a higher regard for herself. She bowed to both monarchs before giving the prince her attention.

“What’s that new squire’s name, the one under Lady Pyrrha, John Bridge or something…”

“Jaune Arc, your Majesty.” She corrected. Weiss found it funny that the prince didn’t know the names of his own staff, did he just say “you!” to whoever walked by?

“Right… have someone make arrangements to send him to one of the  _ hunting camps _ .” Weiss’s eyes widened at his words, knowing that the hunting camps were strictly for those who knew how to fight monsters larger than men. It took years of training for someone to fight even the easiest of Grim… he was sending him to die. Thankfully Glynda interjected,

“Your Majesty… the boy’s only 17, he hasn’t had any training-”

“Glynda, I don’t care what age he is or whatever else, either that boy learns how to not trip over his armor or he goes to the camps, I’m getting annoyed.” Infuriating, selfish, arrogant, and cruel in the way a child would be burning ants under a shard of glass. These were another set of flaws Weiss could add onto the already large list she had been making in her head ever since they met. Glynda looked hesitant to leave, but exited eventually.

“You’re not seriously sending that squire to the hunting camps, are you?”

“Weiss, as my future wife I expect you to do things like embroidery or drink afternoon tea, not tell me how to run  _ my _ kingdom.” Because he was doing such a great job so far… It was to be expected as much, the perfect wife was what Weiss had trained all her life to be. There were her tutors back in Atlas that had been keen on showing her proper etiquette, how to sing, and frilly things like sewing. They would often scold her for running off into the castle library saying, “A princess has no need for such trivial things…” It was only in the darkest hours of the night that Weiss would sneak out and go through all of the books her brother’s teachers had him reading. There were many times Weiss would watch from her bedroom window as Whitley was taught sword fighting, him failing at it miserably, while Weiss practiced with her hairbrush.

“Now then, shall we continue our tour?”

X

After a long and stressful day for everyone in the castle, it was nice to experience the gentle calm that soon took over once the sun had sent. Ruby had been excused from her work station and hung up her apron for the day. She had spoken more with Yang and found out that the castle had cleared out a room in the western wing of the castle. Ruby spoke with Ren and found out that the servants quarters stretched all the way around the first basement level of the castle, below that being the vault and the dungeons. She was also told that the castle had three upper levels, the royal chambers being on the western side of the highest floor. It was hard for Ruby to imagine what someone needed with that many rooms and that much space, not to mention that the knights slept in completely separate barracks, just outside. Thankfully the kitchens were just up one level and straight ahead, otherwise Ruby would’ve surely gotten lost in the stone labyrinth.

Sleep didn’t come easy that night. The bakers eyelids felt heavy enough, but when she closed them, a certain pair of blue eyes gazed back. The princess haunted Ruby’s every waking thought since the moment they met. It was a distraction and cause many accidents while cooking, especially when her sleeves caught fire. “What are you thinking, Ruby?” Was whispered in the night air with no one answering except the ticking of a clock and the emptiness of the underground.


	3. Before A Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People talk, things are said, and preparations are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was way longer than the other chapters because one idea turned into several ideas and yeah... I'm still insecure about my writing and pacing. Oh and for those who are wondering, this AU is Medieval with some modernization for story telling purposes and the convenient plot device of dust. Any feedback would be great! Oh and who's excited for volume 7?! The outfits are amazing and even though there are some controversial hairstyle choices, I'm pumped! Anyways, Enjoy!

Ruby woke up to the sound of knuckles striking dark oak. Seeing as the room had no windows, she looked towards the clock, finding it to be close to four am, her usual waking time. The knocking at her door persisted, leading to Ruby’s feet padding across cold concrete floors to answer.

“Hello?” She mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

Yang stood on the other side, cleansed of the usual caking of ash that coated her body, instead showing off her tanned skin. Her clothes were just as clean, a rare sight to see.

“Hey sis! Just wondering if you wanted to eat breakfast together. It's been awhile...” There was a hint of loneliness that was so unlike the passionate, fiery blonde, it threw Ruby off for a moment. 

Her sister had always appreciated her sleep and only woke up somewhat early if she had a commission for work. It wasn’t like her to wake up at a quarter to four in the morning.

“Yang… you don’t have to be up as early as I do, you should get the extra sleep. I know how cranky you can get.” Ruby left the door open in favor of gathering her clothes for the day.

“Don’t you worry, I’m gonna pass out as soon as we’re done eating. I can't be too good of a worker or else the royal prick will make me stay longer.”

* * *

“You want me to what?” Ruby sat in the smaller of the two dining halls - the one meant for servants - and gawked at the woman before her, Glynda she remembered her name being. Yang had left her after speeding through her own breakfast to go back to bed.

“Prince Neptune has asked that you personally deliver his morning pastries in what I believe is his excuse to meet you.”

* * *

The sounds of birds chirping could be heard from outside her window and at first Weiss had thought she had imagined it. She had never heard birds sing like that until she had left Atlas. It was always too cold for any consistent wildlife, making it that much more incredible to see squirrels running amuck and butterflies flapping through the air. It was one of the few things the princess liked about the recent change in her life.

Another thing that had Weiss smiling so early in the morning, was the sunlight that poured into her room, painting the scene with a comforting warmth that was so unlike the coldness of her childhood home. Her face actually ached at her positive expression, never having to genuinely smile this frequently.

A yawn escaped from her lips as she stretched her arms high into the air, dropping them slowly into her lap. 

A part of Weiss wished she could stay in bed forever, favoring her comfortable and loose nightgown to whatever death contraption she would most likely be wearing. She couldn’t imagine the look on her father’s face if he found out she was prancing about the castle in anything but _ proper _ attire.

Her fitting yesterday had gone wonderfully. Coco Adel was known throughout the kingdoms as one of the best seamstresses around and she could see why. Her dresses were breathtaking and stitched to perfection. There weren’t just dresses either. Apparently Coco worked with countless other customers and servants of the lower class who she claimed were her… friends… the idea of such an exchange felt inefficient and wasteful to the mind of Weiss Schnee, who jumped at the sound of an opening door.

A small girl with brown dog ears came in with a tray which carried a plate piled with cut fruit, toast, and a small slice of ham, plus a pitcher of what smelled like fresh coffee. The girl’s canine ears shot up as her eyes widened comically in surprise at the sight of her master.

“Oh! You’re awake! I can leave if you w-”

“No, that’s quite alright.” The girl stood in the doorway, most likely waiting to receive orders.

“Really, it’s fine. You can just set that on the table in front of the fireplace.” The girl did as instructed and walked towards the exit, still looking like a child facing their angry parent. Before she left, she turned to face Weiss.

“Y-Your Majesty, I’ve been assigned to be you new handmaiden. My name’s Maggie. If there is anything you need, ring for me and I’ll be ready to serve you.” Something in the way the girl spoke so obediently made Weiss feel extremely uncomfortable. The faunus sounded like any minute she expected to be punished just for her existence, showing her cowardice in only her eyes. The princess was used to it, so far any faunus she had encountered had been the same. It saddened her that so many people were affected by her father’s reign, even those in an entirely separate kingdom.

“Call for me when you’re ready to get dressed.” The door closed, followed by fading footsteps.

Moving over to where the tray of food sat, Weiss was just about to dig in when she heard a knock on her door. Her handmaiden had left, leaving Weiss puzzled at who could be there. She didn’t have to wait long, the door opening with an accidental slam.

“Shit! Sorry I-” Blue eyes met familiar grey ones that shone like polished silver in the rays of the sun.

* * *

“I… um… this isn’t…” Thankfully Ruby was interrupted before she made an even bigger fool of herself. She could’ve sworn she had the right room. Glynda said to find the farthest room on the eastern wing of the castle, but this was obviously not the prince’s room.

“Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come in?” Ruby brought her attention back up to the princess in front of her. She finally noted the small blue nightgown she wore and the way her hair was down, flowing in long silky strands. The sight was absolutely dangerous for the baker’s heart.

“Right…” Ruby made sure to shut the door softer than she had opened it. That left her fidgeting in the middle of the room, squirming under Weiss’s gaze.

“So…” Weiss sat with the perfect posture of someone who had been trained for years to do so, her hands folded in her lap. The princess finally rolled her eyes after moments of awkward silence.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re in my room this early or not? I would like to eat at some point if that’s okay with you.” The princess’s annoyance was evident in her tone and the challenge in her eyes.

“I’m supposed to be meeting with Prince Neptune. I was told that he would be in the western tower so…” The princess brought a hand to the bridge of her nose, a hint of even more irritation, not the best sign for the lowly worker.

“You dolt! This is the eastern tower, the _ prince _is on the other side of the castle.” Oops.

Ruby could feel that way her face shifted into utter horror, as if her previous expression melted away. Another mistake, another step closer to the dungeons. Panic flooded the girl’s system, rushing through her body like a tidal wave. 

“You can leave if that’s all you wanted.” Ruby could only open her mouth,her words spilling out before she could think,

“I’m terribly sorry if I upset you, it’s just that I’ve only really been here for a short time, but I guess I already told you that the other day, again sorry about that, it was honestly an accident and I-” Her ramblings we’re interrupted by a raised hand.

“Stop. Just… stop. Let me ask you a question. Do I make you nervous?”

* * *

“Do I make you nervous?” Weiss knew how imposing she could seem. It was often the cause of her loneliness. Why would anyone get close to the daughter of a man who could no doubt break them in half without a second thought. There were always the insincere smiles, the empty flattery, not to mention the way her name was whispered with mallace, spreading like wildfire in a crowded ballroom. She expected the same here. Sure the girl _ looked _innocent in a “I’d make the perfect wife” kind of way, but the Schnee learned to never trust with an open mind.

“Uh… yes? It’s just that… well…”

“Speak up.”

“You’re intimidating, You’re Majesty. I never know what to do. People always say that you’re cold and mean, but I don’t really think that. To be fair, I don’t exactly know you, but I don’t think those people do either. I just think you’re being forced into a situation you don’t want to be in. Oh gosh now I’m talking too much aren’t I, okay shutting up now…” The poor girl was a mess, but oddly charming. She actually managed to get a small chuckle out of the Schnee, a sound that hadn’t been heard in a long time.

“So, I’m intimidating, you say. My father would have you rotting in the dungeons if you had said that to him,” She could see the panic resurfacing,

“But fortunately for you, I’m not my father.” The other girl’s shoulder fell in relief. She knew that this girl had just gotten here the same day she had, but her lack of propriety was something else. 

“You really don’t know any proper mannerisms, do you?” Ruby could only shake her head in response. 

“A part of me wants to know how you’ll survive my welcoming party given how many of the upper class will be there.” Weiss began moving around the room as she talked,

“I’d hate to see what those aristocratic snobs would do to a poor soul like you, oh how they would tear you apart.” Weiss May or may not have been enjoying watching the naive baker tremble at the idea.

“W-What do you think I should do?” Oh, now what to do. Weiss could either embarrass the girl by giving her false information… or be the one friendly Schnee and actually help her. The way those sparkling eyes looked at her made her decision way too easy.

“I… I guess I could help you… when do servants eat?”

* * *

_Douche bag_ _ , jerk wad, royal boneheaded numskull deserving of spit in his next scone. _ That was all Ruby could think, sitting in an incredibly comfortable chair, in Prince Neptune’s chambers, as the _ boy _himself raved on and on about the many girls he had slept with, sprinkling in comment about Ruby’s own “banging bod”. Ruby prayed the whole time to rather be stuck with the princess glaring at her like a cockroach in a kitchen.

* * *

Several pieces of dough had been cut into circles, which lined a tray on the counter top, a light dusting of flour coating each one. The sound of grunting accompanied the sloshing of someone mashing berries into a fine paste. 

“Do you need any help Ruby? I’m sure I could show those berries the what for if you want!” Nora pounded her fist in her hand, showing how aggressive she could be to the bowl of fruit in Ruby’s hands.

“Thanks Nora but I’ve got it covered, I’ll let you know if I need you to pummel any other ingredients.” The two girls laughed as Nora returned to her station… that was currently on fire from the chefs absence. Ruby was shocked to see that the red head wasn’t bothered by what was perhaps a common occurrence for her, grabbing a bucket of water and dumping it on the flames. The hissing of steam came shortly afterwards, meaning the fire was extinguished.

Ren finally popped out from wherever he had been, throwing his coworker a disappointed look.

“Nora, what did I tell you about starting _ more _fires?” He seemed more like a parent scolding a child.

“Not to start them…” The words were said in a mocking sort of way that had Ruby giggling.

Satisfied with it’s consistency, the baker took spoonfuls of the mashed fruit and placed them in the center of each piece of dough. After placing down the bowl, she pinched each circle into the shape of triangles and place the tray they were on in one of several ovens in the kitchen.

“Well, that should be the last of the cookies for the princess’s welcome ball. I can’t believe the amount of pastries Niptune wanted for tonight.”

“RUBY! You can’t call His Highness that!” Ruby quickly brought a hand to her mouth at Nora’s reminder,

“Sorry! I’m so used to Yang calling him that. I forgot where I was for a second. Anyways, I can hardly imagine the amount of food you guys had to make!” It was true that while Ruby had managed on her own, she’d seen Nora carrying armfulls of ingredients in and out of the kitchen. That left Ren with the task of preparing the food and Nora being the one to place it in its respective appliance to cook. The two were surprisingly in sync with one another and worked around each other with ease.

“How many people are going to this thing anyways?” Nora asked, aiming her question more towards Ren than Ruby.

“Apparently The prince invited all the citizens in Beacon to attend. Too bad he only invited the wealthy city and not anywhere else. Then as you know, we’re also invited to come as well.”

“More like we’re being forced to, right Ruby?” The ginger have the other girl a friendly slap on the shoulder, missing the far off look she had.

The redhead had been contemplating the party ever since she found out about it that morning, then again after her conversation with _ THE PRINCESS _ said party was for. Then there was the fact that she was meeting with her in only a few hours… alone… _ again _. What do you say to someone who you spilled 5 lbs of flour on, only to barge into their room in the morning? What if she failed at being a member of high society?

See, Ruby had grown up in a small house in patch. Being from the poorer town, meant that unlike the Beacon residents, she grew up playing in the dirt and being taught by her over-protective father how to maim someone. That meant that the redhead knew nothing about proper etiquette or anything close to what would most likely be crucial in the party to come. 

“Wouldn’t we stand out… just a little?” The meek question was answered by the more informed of the two cooks,

“I assume that not all of Beacon is high society, and of course there’s the possibility of children running amok. I wouldn’t be too worried.”

* * *

Weiss had never stood in a kitchen this long before. There was a time during the previous day, after the whole flour incident, but that was only a mere moment. Now though, she gazed about the tile floors, brick walls, and ceiling high, with open hatches hatches for steam and smoke to be funneled to outside.

Weiss never wanted to cook or watch people cook, she had no need for it. Any type of food she could ever want was simply brought to her when asked for. It was just a process she had grown accustomed to. But to see the steel appliances and countertops, the racks of pans, the shelves of every kind of utensil imaginable. The best part being the lack of anyone around, meaning that instead of shouting or the noise of a processor, there was stillness and room for peering eyes. It was… amazing.

“No Nora I don’t want one of your 30 handmade sandwiches, I’ll eat later!” There she was, Ruby Rose. The girl who had not only destroyed her clothes but also invaded her privacy… why hadn’t Weiss gotten angry at her? She hadn’t even shouted at the girl. It was a mystery the princess had yet to solve. The girl in question finally seemed to notice her, stopping her tracks with a familiar anxious look.

“I see you’re still unnerved by my presence.” The baker could only answer in silence, leaving Weiss to continue.

“Well, seeing as I would rather not teach you how to waltz in a kitchen that has yet to be properly sanitized, I hope you’d be willing to talk in my room. I think you already know the way there.” Weiss immediately started walking, smiling to herself at the way Ruby scrambled to catch up.

They walked side by side in a silence that was comfortable to Weiss but no doubt uneasy for her company. It wasn’t until they had to pass by a main hallway, filled with maids, handymen, guards, and various other people, that things got tense. She didn’t know who started it but a chain of hushed muttering and whispers, rumors and suggestions, anything anyone could chime in, was heard. But just like Weiss had been trained to do, she accepted the never ending chorus of voices, and kept her head held high, strolling as if she couldn’t hear them. _ Letting them get to you gives them power over you _, she reminded herself. They finally reached her room after what felt like hours of her names on people’s tongues. Unexpectedly Ruby lost it,

“What is wrong with people!” The redhead started with. She began pacing around the room on a tangent, ranting as Weiss stood still, shocked.

“How could they say stuff like that! With you right in front of them! They don’t even know you! I don’t know how you can handle that, I mean I want to throw up and it wasn’t even me they were whispering about. Are you okay? I mean, how are you okay?” It started with a small exhale that turned into a chuckle then a full blown crackle, leaving Weiss doubled over, laughing while the other girl was left bewildered. Weiss eventually calmed down, gazing at Ruby, still smiling. It took the princess a moment to blend back into a more commanding demeanor.

“You were serious, weren’t you?” She was met with a vigorous nod.

“Firstly, not a single one of those things is true. Well maybe except for the one about me being able to stab a man to death with just a spoon, who knows, I haven’t tried it yet.

“Secondly, I’ve gotten used to it. It comes with the title. Oh, and being the daughter of a blood thirsty monarch, fueled with hatred and greed. Most people, if they aren’t whispering about me or trying to get as far away from me as possible, they’re trying to exploit me for my father’s money and power. Hasn’t happened yet, but like I said, you never know.” Did Weiss just really tell this nobody peasant her life story?

“I’m so sorry.” Huh?

“Excuse me, what?” Surely she hadn’t heard her correctly.

“I’m so sorry that you have to go through that. It’s not right, and you shouldn’t have to feel so alone just because of who you’re related to. And I’m not just saying that because you can potentially spoon me to death!” Oh this was going to be a problem. Most people never stuck around after hearing what everyone thought of her, let alone apologize with such sincerity it made her heart ache. 

“So you’re not going to go tell people that I forced you to be near me or anything like that?”

“Oh, Weiss that’s awful, did someone do that to you?” This girl cared in a way that turned the princess’s cheeks pink.

“I never said you could call me by my name.”

“Oh my god I’m so sorry Your Majesty, won’t happen again!” Weiss was thankful for the topic change.

“If you want to call me Weiss, you’re going to have to show me you can be a proper lady of high society, or else you’re just some servant girl who can bake, understood?”

* * *

Ruby’s back was beginning to ache at the straightness of her posture. So far she had learned to curtsy, properly address someone of their titles, eat and drink like she isn’t Yang’s sister, and was now on the final stretch. All she had to do was name the proper utensils for a three course meal while balancing two _ Fencing: A Guide For The Sword _volumes on her head. Easy. Weiss held up a fork with three small tongs and a round head.

“Salad fork!” She received a nod and was presented a spoon with a rounder head than most.

“Soup spoon!” Another nod. Next were two utensils side by side. One a smaller fork with three prongs, and the other being a small fork with two prongs.

“That’s a cake fork and that’s a fruit fork!” Weiss placed the utensils on the table with the others, taking the books of her head and setting them aside as well. She sat with Ruby on a couch by the unlit fireplace, facing the other girl.

“Congratulations Miss Ruby Rose, you are now a Lady.” The princess was met with a bone crushing hug, letting the inappropriate action slide.

“Ruby, I think you’re forgetting that every Lady, needs to learn how to waltz.” The princess stood, moving toward the empty space in front of her massive bed, a bed Ruby was quite jealous of.

“Grab my hand. I’ll lead so put your hand on my shoulder. Like this,” Ruby let her arms go slack, letting her partner move her hand, the one that wasn’t holding hers.

“Now I’m putting my hand on you hip, and all you have to do is follow me.”

* * *

After several hours and many stepped on toes, the two were moving with grace, flowing like one unit. Weiss hadn’t noticed when she had gotten closer to Ruby, or when she had started smiling but she was. She started noticing the rapid heartbeat in her chest, Ruby was just so close. Way too close. Weiss had to jerk herself away from a reckless environment.

“I-I think you’ve got it down. You’ll be a perfect dance partner for tonight.” Weiss almost forgot why they were dancing in the first place. She needed to get her head together.

“Weeeiiiisss! I won’t even be dancing at this stupid thing-”

“This stupid thing being my welcoming party? Besides, who knows, some dashing fellow might want to sweep you off your feet.” The thought of some pompous idiot dancing with Ruby made the princess sick, for reasons she didn’t know. She liked being the lead, liked dancing with Ruby, even when she stepped on her toes. She was a better dance partner for her than any rich jerk.

“Ew. One, that wouldn’t even happen. Two, boys are gross. Three, if Yang found out about that, she would track that man down and see how long he can survive tied to the smithing furnace.”

“Who’s Yang?” This was the first time Weiss was asking about her life. Why did she care?

“Oh, she’s my sister. She’s actually downstairs, helping Cardin with your throne. You should see how good she is with her hands!” Red ran up to the princess’s cheeks, contrasting her pale skin. Ruby obviously had no clue what made her words so…something. The princess brought her attention back to the conversation after a moment of thinking about ice cubes and freezing snow in Atlas.

“Wait. Your sister’s a blacksmith? But she’s a girl!”

“Oh! You probably haven’t met Pyrrha then! In Vale women surprisingly get a lot more opportunities than other kingdoms. They can be guards, blacksmiths, carpenters, mechanics, miners, a ton of stuff really, even huntresses! My mom was one, along with my dad before she died.”

“I...I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It happened a long time ago, I was really young, so I don’t remember much.”

“My mother isn’t around that much either. I suppose that describes my entire family.”

“Well then I’m sorry too.”

“There was my butler, Klein. He practically raised me. And my sister Winter, she would’ve loved Vale. She always wanted to be a royal guard but of course my father wouldn’t let her. I remember before my brother was born, she planned that when she took the throne, she was going to make up for the things our father did. But as soon as we found out about Whitley, things got… bad.”

“You don’t have to tell me…”

“It’s fine. It actually feels better to talk about things, especially with you.” Weiss would need to punch herself later.

“Whitley’s the youngest but since he’s the only male heir, making him the one to rule over Atlas on his 21st birthday. Up until then, Winter was the heir and she had been raised believing she would be Queen. She had pretty much based her whole life on it. She cried a lot when we heard he was a boy. I was either too young or too stupid to see the person Whitley was growing up to be, but after only a few years with Whitley alive, Winter saw our father in him.

“Winter had actually planned to kill him. She was going to sneak into his crib with a knife. She said she would make it quick, blame it on a rogue servant who snapped. I knew she couldn’t do it. He was still our brother. So instead she ran away. I have no idea where she went, she was almost an adult then so I hoped she was okay. That was years ago. My father acted like she never existed. I have the last of her portraits under my bed in Atlas. I’m sure he’ll burn them when he finds them.” Weiss finally noticed her cheeks were wet. Weiss Schnee hadn’t cried since the day her sister left and here she was telling the story to some servant she just met, sobbing like a little girl who misses her big sister. She felt a hesitant hand on her back begin to rub circle in a calming manner. But Weiss could feel her frozen walls of ice build right back up, encasing her cold heart.

“I think I kept you long enough Ruby…”

* * *

“Yang!” The outer grounds of the castle carried an aroma of burning wood, accompanied by the sight of smoke rising high in the air. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out from the surrounding area, leading the smithery. The workspace was a roofed section at the corner of the castle, with two of its walls exposed to the outside. There was a hatch in the roof that was currently opened, allowing smoke to air out. The floors were smooth concrete that had been stained black from its years of use, the only remaining gray been on the outer sections. The smithery was near the stables, barracks, and separate training area from the castle’s courtyard.

“Hey Rubes! What brings you to see little ol me?” The older sister had sprung up from her work, covered in black markings mixed with sweat.

“How do you know I’m not here to see Cardin… yeah never mind.” The other smith let out a grunt and continued hammering away at a piece of white crystal.

“So? What brings you here?”

“I came to get you actually. I thought you would’ve gotten the night off like I did… for the party. We were going to Coco’s for dresses.” Yang gave her a confused look before her eyes widened like saucers. 

“Shit! I had no idea they were serious about that! I had a whole night of work planned out, I need to get going on that ice dust before it becomes too active, wouldn’t want to turn into a Yangcicle. Sorry Rubes, seems like you might have to meet the snobs without me.”

“You don’t sound too sorry! I barely know how to not look like the dirty peasant I actually am!” The taller blonde chuckled at the way her sister began to pout.

“Weiss could only teach me so much…” The laughter stopped dead in its tracks. The blacksmith gained a serious expression, pulling her sister by the shoulders.

“_ Weiss _ ? As in _ Princess Weiss _? What are you not telling me? What did you do? Are you okay? Did she make you her mistress or something because I’m not afraid to kick some royal butt!” The last sentence brought fire to the other sister’s cheeks.

“Woah! Slow down!” The baker had to _ attempt _to physically restrain her sister before someone got hit and something got smashed.

“She offered to help me blend in at the party after I accidentally went into her room this morning.”

“You _ accidentally _ran into her room?” The sentence was layered with sarcasm, accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

“Hey! This castle is huge and after spending hours in there, you forget which way is which, okay?” The blonde sighed in relief. Then, she took the redhead, both hands on her shoulders, in front of her.

“Ruby. Dear sister of mine. I am going to tell you this with only the intention of keeping you in one piece. Do. Not. Mess. With. A. Schnee. If there was one thing Uncle Qrow was right about, it’s that pretty white haired princesses are bad news. Stay away, Rubes.” The eyebrows on Ruby’s face furrowed in confusion, before shifting into the unusual expression of anger.

“Why do people always say that? Has she actually done anything? Or is this because she’s a Schnee princess? If anyone actually got to know her-”

“And you have?” Yang crossed her arms in a more big sisterly look, puffing out her chest with authority. She stood like a mountain in front of her sister, but that didn’t seem to matter at the moment.

“More than anyone else! She was nice to me, even after what I did yesterday and this morning! We ate lunch together, Yang. She was nothing like the person I’ve heard about. I heard the way people whispered about her in the halls as we walked. She has to hear that everyday. She’s lonely, I can see it in her eyes. After the way people treat her, wouldn’t you be?” This wasn’t a conversation anymore. At some point this had turned into a quarrel between the two.

“Ruby, you’re making it sound like you two are ready to exchange friendship bracelets with each other. She is a _ princess _. Monarchs aren’t about being nice! They hurt people!” It was clear to Ruby that Yang was talking from experience, but what that was, Ruby didn’t know. They had never been to the castle, or even talked to anyone who lived there before yesterday. It didn’t make sense, which only made the baker angrier at her sister’s stubbornness over the matter. The stone like presence of the blonde left no room for discussion before she eventually turned away, back to her work.

“I’m going to Coco’s now, I… I’ll see you later.” As she walked away, the sounds of hammering metal was the only response.

* * *

“Really Coco, you don’t have to do this-“

“And let you dress yourself? I think not. I got your measurements you sent me this morning and I’ve already picked out the perfect dress. Trust me, you may not be royalty, but you’ll be turning heads.” The resident fashion expert definitely had an eye for these sorts of things, while Ruby was only distracted by the bright colors and expensive stitching. The two women perused about the expansive collection of clothing, hanging from various metal racks. There were mirrors around every corner and in the very back stood a small raised platform, where one could be viewed from all angles. The walls were a pastel pink with a gold trimming and high ceilings.

“Now before I show you the dress, I want you to promise me that if you don’t like it or find anything that needs some tweaking, you have to tell me. I can’t let my name be tainted by a rushed design.” The redhead nods and watches as Coco goes to one of the racks and reaches into it’s crowded depths. Ruby was thrown a hangar and tried to gage how she’d look in it, without trying it on.

The dress was strapless with short red ruffled sleeves. The bust was black with a ribbon of the same color tied around the waist and the skirt was red with black ruffles on the inside. It was beautiful and Ruby knew instantly she’d be wearing it to the party, which unfortunately meant she would be shoved into a corset to have the full effect of the outfit. She was looking forward to a night of barely breathing.

“Just don’t expect me to wear lady stilts.”

* * *

The dress wasn’t terrible. It complimented her rather well, exposing her pale shoulders in a not too scandalous way, covering her arms in a see-through fabric that glittered beautifully in the right light. The garment was strapless and went from a dashing silver to a breathtaking blue gradient, making her eyes pop. What had set Weiss off was the way Neptune had showed up at her chambers, princely confidence and all, thrusting the outfit onto her and using a commanding tone to tell her to wear it for the party she had only found out about Last night. He left as soon as she had gathered the most likely expensive dress in her arms. The princess had made an attempt to protest wearing the outfit for a whole 30 minutes before she broke. Now she stood in front of a full length mirror, turning and gazing at herself from all angles. It annoyed her how much she liked the damn thing. Of course only Coco could make something so perfect.

She turned to the knocking at her door, hoping it wasn’t her arrogant fiancé.

“Your Majesty? Um, It’s time.”


	4. The Party (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party starts, people talk, and someone breaks in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! I'm actually posting this on my birthday so yay! Now I am so extra that I created a whole map layout of the castle that I reblogged on my tumblr (it's the same as my username) because I started messing up the directions and places but now I've got an outline! Hope you guys enjoy this one, had a rough time writing it cause of inspiration and all that... but here it is!

The murmuring of the wealthy crowd was all Ruby could hear inside the ballroom, a space decorated with gilded halls and an enormous chandelier in the middle, casting an array of lights around the room. Tables clothed in white tablecloths were piled high with Nora, Ren, and Ruby’s creations in an attempt to fill the stomachs of the guests aside from the overly expensive yet disgusting champagne that was being served by some of the less fortunate waiters.

The upper class were easy to spot in their velvet and silk clothes, holding themselves to a higher standard. They meandered about, comfortable from their years of experience with parties and high society, while Ruby and most of the other workforce stood around the edges, awkwardly shuffling, obviously feeling uneasy.

Ren was in charge of restraining Nora for the night and Pyrrha was in charge of security, meaning Jaune was not far behind. Penny was working late, along with some others who she recently met like Fox and Yatsuhashi. Coco was right in her element, schmoozing the rich folk with her charisma and knowledge of high end fashion while dragging Velvet along with her. Coco had introduced the three just before Ruby had been given her the dress, a dress that made her feel incredibly out of place as she watched from afar.

Weiss had yet to show up, but Ruby guessed that there would be some big show of when she did make her way there, considering that she was the guest of honor. The redhead could picture her coming through the set of big oak doors, her arm linked with her fiance as they made their first appearance as a young and happy couple. She didn’t know how to feel about that now that she had met both of the monarchs. She could only guess it was do to the fact that she was marrying a man like Neptune that caused an ache in her chest when she thought about it. The prince was nowhere near good enough for Weiss. Weiss deserved a gentleman who treated her as an equal, one who respected her and would give her the world if she asked for it. Someone that Ruby wasn’t sure existed in the royal dating pool.

Weiss only made her thoughts drift back to Yang. She was most likely still hammering in the dark, listening to the party she wouldn’t be joining. Ruby refused to feel bad though, she had only been defending the princess, who Yang had to insist was bad. Yang was obviously in the wrong… right?

Ruby’s attention was pulled at the sound of obnoxious and fairly unnecessary horn playing. She could only assume that meant the arrival of important people. Hopefully she would see a glimpse of white hair, even if that would be all she saw of her for the rest of the night.

“Presenting His Majesty, King Jacques Schnee of Atlas.”

* * *

Weiss was already praying for the night to be over. Soon after Maggie had gotten Weiss, she was guided to the hallway that connected the throne room and the dining room of the castle, coming face to face with her fiancé and several of Atlas’s representatives, who upon her arrival showed no indication that they cared. She was just a bargaining chip to them.

The king of Atlas stood in front of the group, his iron crown adorning his head, making him an intimidating force as always. The man didn’t differ much from his usual getup of white pants, a tunic the color of frost, and white fur lined robes.

Her brother stood behind him in a much simpler outfit, a white tunic and overcoat, decorated with intricate blue stitching. His crown was absent, obviously in an attempt to make her father a more prominent figure. The smirk he gave her was enough to irritate her.

Her would be husband wore a white tunic and a red and gold over coat, his white pants standing in contrast. Several small jewels were sprinkled about his outfit, an eyesore at best. His golden crown was present in the look, only making her own iron one feel that much heavier. The absent look in his eyes reminded her of a toddler distracted by their own thoughts.

She didn’t pay much mind to those who had accompanied them, some ambassadors, some of their own Royal Guard, and a couple of personal colleagues.

They were all waiting for her. All except for her father who, after seeing her, decided to just get on with their entrance. As always, Whitley followed like the little lap dog he was.

After hearing her father being introduced, she gathered all of her strength and locked arms with Neptune, trying her best to fit in with the role of a happily engaged princess… one who actually wanted to be there.

“If you’re nervous, feel free to come closer.” The words whispered into her ear by her companion, drew a sickening shiver down her spine.

Weiss could already picture how the night would go. They’d be introduced together, starting off the dancing with their first waltz. After a few minutes he’d excuse himself to  _ socialize  _ with his citizens, meaning he’d seek out the prettiest girls. The thought of him talking to Ruby made her blood boil. She’d be left alone, forced to talk to wealthier patrons and be told her opinion didn’t matter and she should leave the ruling to her future spouse. She be dismissed when important things were discussed and most likely drink the night away, seeking out a mop of red hair and silver eyes. She wondered what Ruby would be wearing. It was hard to picture the girl in anything but a food stained uniform and her hair tied into a messy last minute ponytail.

Her thoughts were broken by the movement of her partner, leading her to a set of open doors and a crowd of mumbling voices.

* * *

Things made sense when he entered the room. The stories, the rumors, every detail she knew about the king of Atlas.

He walked like he owned everyone in the room, like he could destroy you with the snap of his fingers and a whisper to his followers. His fingers were pressed against each other in a contemplative manner, almost as if he was judging the worth of whoever his eye landed on. He embodied a nerve racking coldness.

His son was like a clone, a shadow that walked behind him, someone molded to fit his father’s image. If Ruby has to guess, she imagined that the boy had no real opinions of his own that didn’t line up with his father’s interests. That was definitely Whitley.

The two made their way to the very end of the ballroom, the king, surveying the space like a bloodthirsty hawk, itching for something to tear apart.

“Presenting His and Her Majesty, Prince Neptune Vasilias of Vale and Princess Weiss Schnee of Atlas.” Ruby’s attention snapped back to the grand entrance, just in time for her heart to stop.

There she was. The first thing Ruby noticed was her dress, complemented with light blue stockings and white pearls. Coco had really outdone herself. Her eyes trailed up to notice the princess’s exposed neck. Her hair was void of its usual ponytail, instead trading it for a bun, one that was uncharacteristically centered. Silver eyes landed on the other girl’s face, porcelain skin with a light dusting of blush. It was almost enough to distract from the man beside her, Vale’s  _ inspiring  _ prince, paying most of his attention charming the girls they walked past.

It stirred something in the baker's heart that felt so natural, yet foreign. She kept her head down, away from the sight. Ruby was baffled that anyone would ever not choose Weiss. She was funny, smart, gorgeous, and yet there she was on the arm of someone who couldn’t see that. Ruby would’ve killed to just be able to talk to Weiss freely, it didn’t make sense in the redhead’s mind.

Ruby finally looked back up, catching a pair of blue eyes for just a moment, before the music started.

* * *

Her toes were most likely swollen from the amount of times Neptune had stepped on them. Apparently catching the eye of other women was more important than following the simple steps of a dance that should’ve been ingrained in every royal family.

Weiss sat to the side, one shoe off. Leaning against a pillar in the wall, she balance on one foot, trying to massage the pain out of the other. She was so focused that she didn’t notice someone coming to stand beside her.

“I don’t understand why you’re marrying him.” Weiss finally glanced up, both feet on the ground, still partly shoeless, to face the speaker. 

“Oh…” Was all Weiss could say, one shoe still in her hand, taking in the sight of the normally clumsy girl. Her hair was down, in a dress that was way to flattering for Weiss’s brain to process. Her thoughts immediately went to trying to hide Ruby from any male onlookers, but she remembered that she had to respond.

“It’s an arranged marriage, meaning I don’t really get a say. Apparently my father had set it up months ago without my knowledge. I only found out the day before we left. Which is to be expected of someone like him.” She watched the other girl’s series of expressions, from confused to what looked like a rare case of anger, then to sad.

“That’s… do you want to marry him?” Weiss gazed around, checking for anyone who might hear them. She found no one, most people in the middle where the commotion was.

“To be honest… I can’t stand him.” Ruby let out a sigh of… relief? Still, she continued,

“He’s rude, arrogant, egotistical, I could stand here for days telling you every reason why that prospect of marrying him sickens me.” It felt good for the princess to let loose all those things she was bottling up inside. Normally she’d have to pretend like she enjoyed the presence of countless arrogant men, but with Ruby it felt like she could complain and complain but the other girl would just sit and listen.

“And you really can’t call it off?” There was a strange sense of dread that Weiss refused to try and analyze.

“Unfortunately, no. Arranged marriages are usually bound by some sort of contract, and knowing my father, I assume this one’s free of any loop holes.”

“Oh.” The two just stood side by side both keeping their eyes forward, letting the atmosphere get even more awkward with their silence.

“I like your dress by the way.” Ruby commented, leaning in so the princess heard.

“Thank you. I think you look rather nice yourself, I was shocked to see you dress so…”

“Girly? You can thank Coco for this one. I’d rather wear something that doesn’t make me feel so exposed.” There was indeed a lot of skin to be seen, but Weiss didn’t find that to be so bad.

“Your uniform has a skirt.” She stated flatly.

“I  _ have  _ to wear that though. Why is there a no pants rule?!”

“I think that has more to do with my ever faithful fiance and his obsession with the opposite gender.”

“My condolences.” Then she giggled. The cold hearted princess of Atlas  _ giggled _ .

* * *

The sounds of laughter and music bled through the castle walls and into the night. The darkness was kept at bay by a single oil lamp, which rested atop a workbench, one that would catch spark every now and then. The sound of the party was combative with the noise of a knife, scraping against what sounded like stone but was definitely not.

“Yang, don’t go too hard on that ice dust, if you mess up, I’m gonna have to order another shipment. The prince has been a real bitch since his funds got low.” 

“I don’t mess up.” The scraping continued, giving way to a piece that began to look like the intricate parts of the Schnee crest.

“Just saying, I know you’re mad at your sister but-“

A knife was stabbed into the wood of the nearby workbench.

“Can’t we just work? I didn’t take this job to talk about my feelings. If I have to strangle you with bare hands to get this done, I will.” Cardin have a deep grunt in reply.

Yang eventually succumbed to her wandering thoughts. Stupid Ruby, she’ll only get hurt hanging around that princess. Yang was smothered in a guilty conscience, thinking about the explanation she can’t give to Ruby. She was still waiting until Ruby was ready. She had decided to tell her after the wedding, when she was far enough away from the castle to do anything stupid.

_ Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.  _ Small pieces of ice dust fell onto the stone counter top, expanding into miniature ice crystals.

The Schnee insignia stared back at the blonde, mocking her. What was so good about the princess anyway?

Frustrated, Yang left the finished piece to take a walk around the castle grounds. It was late and the sun had already set, leaving Yang alone in the dark. Most of the guards were inside, watching over the party and left a skeleton of a crew patrolling atop the castle walls. 

The blonde got lost in her thoughts, listening to the sound of her own footsteps as the crushed stray twigs and leaves on the ground. She never had any time to think during the day, focusing on not breaking her hand or burning her hair. If Ruby really did get that bakery, where would Yang be? She couldn’t afford to live in Beacon, she barely had enough money to pay rent, having to spend most of it on extra travel costs because her customers usually weren’t generous enough to cover for her. Did Ruby even need her? She had expected the redhead to hang around Yang when she wasn’t working but so far she had only seen her at that one breakfast and when they fought. She knew Ruby was getting older, the girl was almost an adult. So why-

A rustle of leaves startled the blonde, interrupting her thoughts. The sound came from the emerald forest, a cluster of trees that sat behind the castle. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Yang instantly felt like something was watching her. Without any debate she raised her fists, ready to pummel any suspicious characters.

“Who’s there? If you come out, I won’t have to ruin my hair. Blood’s kinda hard to get out.” There was no sign of movement, and Yang couldn’t make out anything aside from a couple of trees and bushes.

“If you’re here to like kill the prince or something, that's fine by me, just ignore the girl with the silver eyes and a red mop of hair.” Yang eventually dropped her fists, deciding that it must’ve just been a rabbit or something.

* * *

Blake had been waiting years for this moment, the day she would be close enough to make her move. Adam had tried to convince her to follow him, take part in his plans. Planes that included the slaughter of innocent people just for a  _ chance  _ at ending the king of Atlas. After so much blood, Blake couldn’t take it anymore. She knew talking to Adam was pointless, his ability to think rationally had been lost years ago. So she ran. She hopped on a boat sailing to Vale, surprised to find out that she arrived just in time, right before they closed the ports, and to watch as the Atlas carriages ran through the streets. The timing was too perfect. She thought maybe if she could dispose of the Schnee King, she could stop the killing sprees… at least that’s what she hoped would happen.

Her plan involved waiting until the princess’s welcoming party, where the security outside would be too scarce to cause an issue. She envisioned entering through the Emerald Forest, where the foliage was too dense for it to be fenced off, leaving the back of the castle exposed. If the bricks were like any other castle’s, they would be easy enough to carve handholds into with her sword, Gambol Shroud. She found out that the top of the castle was rarely guarded, meaning that would be her entrance point. The rest relied on reflexes and instinct to make her way to the king’s room and wait. It was simple really.

The operation required stealth and timing, leaving the faunus dressed in a light black suit, which covered her mouth and everywhere else up to her forearms. Black cat ears sat atop her waterfall of raven hair, blending into the night.

That was until some blonde covered in ash decided to take a walk behind the castle. If Blake were to continue her plan, she’d easily be spotted. Her solution was to wait, because surely the other girl would move on. That was until some small animal came running right between her legs, snapping the twigs around her.

Lilac eyes seemed to be staring right at her, for a second the faunus had thought her cover was blown, but then the blonde spoke.

“Who’s there? If you come out, I won’t have to ruin my hair. Blood’s kinda hard to get out.” The faunus could only roll her eyes in the dark. She’d seen her type before, cocky with a huge ego, who rarely cared about anyone other than themselves.

“If you’re here to like kill the prince or something, that's fine by me, just ignore the girl with the silver eyes and a red mop of hair.” Blake was running out of time. Her window for entering the castle was closing. If she didn’t go now, she would spend too much time dodging guards, and not make it to the king’s room before he did. Luckily, the blonde decided to move on. 

Vale’s royal castle stood three stories tall, seeming much bigger on the hill it was built on. Luckily, the Emerald Forest was on even ground, making the climb easier, if it weren’t for the sturdy bricks that left little to no handholds for Blake to grab onto. With a heavy amount of strength, Blake managed to pierce through the building, carving into the castle as she went.

Eventually she made it to the roof, spotting no guards like she envisioned. In all of the castle turrets would be a trapdoor. Jacques Schnee would be in one of the west grand guest rooms, leaving her to enter through the northwest turret.

* * *

“My father would have a fit if he knew I was talking to you.” Admitted the princess.

“Am I not rich enough for his liking?”

The two had - at Ruby’s suggestion - made a quick escape through one of the back doors of the ballroom when another round of dancing started. So far no one had come to look for them, Weiss more than herself. They now sat on Weiss’s bed, Weiss with her legs under her, and Ruby with her head on her knees. Weiss had discarded both shoes at some point, leaving her stocking-covered feet bare. Ruby followed suit, flinching at the coldness biting her toes.

“If it were up to him, I’d only socialize with nobles and royalty.”

“Such a shame that I’m here then.” Weiss let out a small chuckle, which only caused the baker to smile even wider. It had hit Ruby during their etiquette training, that she was probably one of the few people to make the princess laugh like that. It made her feel… weird but in a good way? She ignored it for now, focusing back on the princess.

“Trust me, I enjoy your company far better than anyone downstairs.”

“There are a bit…”

“Awful?” Weiss threw in.

“I was going to say shallow but that works too.” The princess smiled warmly, content to just talk with the lowly baker.

“What kills me is that they act so high and mighty, yet without their money, their pretty much useless.” Weiss ranted, sighing in frustration.

“Aren’t you the same though?” The baker was met with a pillow to the face.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that while I may not be the most… capable of people, I have my own skill set.”

“... did you just throw a pillow at me?”

“Was I not supposed to?” asked Weiss with a confused stare.

“No, no! You’re fine! And what do you mean skill set? Don’t you just sit around all day?”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Ruby Rose?”

“It’s a fair question! So?” Ruby gestured with her hands towards the other girl.

“Well maybe if you got to know me instead of assuming I’m some helpless princess, you might find out!”

“I’m sorry! You’re the first princess I’ve met!”

“And I’ll be the last if you keep testing me!”

“Are you going to lecture me to death?”

“That’s it! Ruby Rose prepare to d-” The scene was an unfortunate one. Weiss, still dressed in an expensive gown, a pillow in her hands, raised high into the air, and a look of utter horror on her face. Then there was Ruby, on her back trying to escape her aggressor, her face equally as distraught.

Finally, there was the king of Atlas, having interrupted the two with a slammed door and a furious expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this one was kinda short, forgive me. I had trouble writing this one because I was worried about pacing and not making the characters too OOC. I originally wrote Blake really playful but I scrapped that. Another thing I worried about is how fast the relationship is going, I mean it's been like two day in story time so... anyways I hope you guys liked it, I'd love to hear any suggestions or ideas because I have a very vague idea of where I want this to go so yeah...


	5. The Party (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is FINE  
(It's called the party but more stuff happens because I never plan what I write)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter took me a while to write. Mostly cause it's filler. I also find Weiss's family (herself included) the hardest to write just because I don't know what's harsh enough or cold enough or how they would talk. I don't know enough snobs I guess. I almost ended up scrapping this whole story and starting over but I'm too lazy to do that. Oh! Another thing, for the past 4 chapters I never really knew how modern I was making this AU but now I've decided on making it semi-modern (Still using horses for transportation, no phones or any technology. I'm allowing some stuff for plot convenience and so I don't have to research a ton of stuff. But like there's still cooking appliances and like a really crude vent system. AND PLUMBING because back then things were gross). So yeah, there'll be some leniency with a few things... Sorry for my ADHD brain taking over the notes and making them all over the place. One last thing is that this story has a set timeline of 4 weeks until the wedding (I might push back the wedding and throw in some story element) and I'll do my best to keep track of how many days have passed. after this chapter we should be on day 6 so yeah. ANYWAYS, enjoy and let me know what you think!

“ **Weiss** …” Her name was said with a sharp edge to it, like a knife being stabbed into the girl’s stomach and left there until she obeyed.

“F-Father I-”

“What is it you think you’re doing up here with this…” His icy gaze traveled from his daughter to the girl beside her,

“ _ Peasant _ ...?” Weiss stuttered for an explanation but found none. Deeming the conversation over, the king motioned for the two Atlesian knights behind him, who in turn stepped into the room and motioned for the princess to exit. Her thoughts raced with the robotic herding of the two guards. She recognized the staircase where she met Ruby, descending down those same steps in a much darker tone. A sinking feeling hit her once she reached the ballroom entrance, her chest aching like she might hyperventilate in front of a crowd of noblemen and women. Her father hadn’t followed them. He was with Ruby,  _ talking _ to Ruby. What would he do to her? What had  _ she _ done to her? If anything happened to Ruby it would be her fault, all her fault. The ballroom music was like white noise to the princess’s ears.

* * *

Ruby remembered taking ice baths after excruciating hours of manual labor in an attempt to soothe her sore muscles. Her sister used to do the same thing and despite the icy chill of the water, it felt soothing and comfortable. This was nothing like that.

The kind of cold seen in the king’s eyes was as paralyzing as sudden hypothermia, but much more nerve wracking. 

The man was immovable, too frightening for any words of objection or defiance. Even if Ruby were brave enough to act against the king, he was still royalty and outranked her immensely. It would’ve been laughable to even try.

“I don’t know what it is you did to bewitch my daughter, but I assure you, this will be the last time you two see each other.” He left little room for debate by simply exiting the bedroom, motioning for his guards to drag Ruby out as well.

Standing in an eerily empty hallway, Ruby sentenced herself to bed. At least there she didn’t feel guilty worrying about the princess.

* * *

The whole scene had played out in front of Blake’s eyes. She watched from the cracked door of an empty room -one of the many throughout the hallway connecting Weiss’s and Jacques room-, catching little of what was said. She was sure that if word got out about the princess’s pillow fight with the help, it would surely be the focus of high society’s hot gossip and possibly another scandal on the princess’s record. Not that it could top the rumored outburst from two years ago.

Being in the White Fang had led to her hearing countless stories about the Schnees. The group thrived on every leaked secret. Any weakness that could be exploited was akin to a piece of bleeding meat while they played the starving beasts. Although carrying the Schnee name, the gossip was more like a harmless fly, grabbing their attention before being ignored. That is unless you were a child, bored and cut off from the rest of the world, aching for anything to pass the time and pay no attention to the growl of starving bellies. The thrown away magazine’s always had the face of a Schnee on the cover, which was later crossed out by red X’s drawn from a kid’s red crayon.

Thinking about it now, it was kind of sad. So many kids were taught to hate the names of people they didn’t even know. Even if they were the name of tyrannical maniacs, those kids didn’t know.

Shaking away her straying thoughts, the assassin watched cautiously as the king exited the floor, followed by the servant girl. The girl chose to exit through a separate staircase so was unlikely to be a problem. What did pose a challenge were the two remaining guards located at the archway leading to the princess’s room. If she exited her post, she’d be in direct sight and presumably cause a lockdown of the castle, which would be a total inconvenience. So she waited. And waited. And eventually the faunus realized it was morning and she was stuck. She thanked whatever god was listening that the cleaning staff didn’t seem to clean any empty rooms.

* * *

The next morning came like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As usual Ruby woke up early and made her way to the servant’s dining room. She was surprised to find Glynda waiting there for her. Before the baker could ask why the other woman was there, the glorified secretary beat her to it.

“At the request and insistence of King Schnee, you will no longer be permitted to visit the third floor of the castle. If there is any occasion that would require your presence, a pair of armed guards will escort you.” The woman scanned the room for a moment before fixing her eyes back on Ruby.

“Now I don’t know what it is exactly that you did Miss Rose, but it seemed to have angered some very powerful people. It would be in your best interest to lie low for a while. I’d hate to see anything happen to you or your sister.” The mention of Yang brought chills down her spine. It hadn’t occurred to her until now that the blonde would be targeted, should Ruby do anything else.

* * *

Three days. It had been three days of being chaperoned by two guards everywhere she went. It had been three whole days of no Ruby and it wasn’t even her fault. The most the two had interacted was Ruby giving Weiss a small smile from across the hall, and Weiss purposely turning away and leaving. The princess was so scared that she might slip up and show some form of kindness to the other girl and being found out by her father. She was sure from the not so subtle way a pair of Atlas guards trailed Ruby, that her father had threatened her to stay away. A part of her was furious about him interfering with her life  _ again _ , then there was the part of her that felt so guilty about the trouble she caused the other girl. What was worse, was that Ruby didn’t blame her! She didn’t look angry, irritated, or even sad! What amazed Weiss was how Ruby glanced at her with guilt in her eyes. Almost as if the girl blamed herself. It honestly broke her heart.

It was for the best that the baker stayed away. At least then her father wouldn’t have any reason to go after her. It wouldn’t give Weiss any opportunity to hurt her. She’d be  _ fine _ . She’d be perfectly fine.

* * *

It got harder to avoid her. It seemed like unless the princess would rather stay within the confines of the castle walls, she’d have to run into Ruby. Fate just had to make every trip downstairs be the exact time the baker would leave the kitchen, and that always resulted in her escorts glaring at the poor girl in suspicion when she was just trying to do her job. And Weiss tried. She tried to avoid the first floor at all costs but she would be summoned to dinners or fittings or some kind of recreational activity that she wanted no part in. Sometimes the only way she could get some fresh air would be to stand on the walkway leading to her room. That or stick her head out a window. A window that, on the third floor, was 40ft above solid ground.

* * *

Ruby was completely aware how insane she sounded as she confided in her friends. The princess wasn’t meant to even acknowledge with their type, let alone befriend them. Still, her friends listened, nodding their heads along as she retold bits and pieces of the previous night.

“So that’s where you were yesterday! I was wondering where you were, you didn’t get to see my cool dance moves!”

“Nora, not the time.” Her group of friends surrounded her, the castle’s kitchen apparently being their unofficial hangout spot. The only absent members were Coco and her friends plus Penny, having to work a few more hours. Apparently something blew up in the dressing room and clothes were on fire, but that wasn’t important.

“It sounds to me like you’ve grown to really like Her Highness.” Pyrrha stood more towards the back along with Sun and Jaune to compensate for their height.

“I think we should totally sneak into her room at night and rescue her ol’ prince charming style!” Sun spoke enthusiastically, jumping into the middle of the group and gesturing with his hands.

“I AM IN!” yelled Nora, exchanging a high five with the faunus. Ruby immediately cut in,

“No! Nobody is breaking and entering or doing anything that involves climbing a 40ft wall of solid stone!” The ginger and the blonde visibly deflated.

“You could always wait until she’s alone to talk to her.” mentioned Ren from his place next to Nora. Jaune countered with an anxious waver in his voice,

“Haven’t you seen those two tall guards always with her? They’d crush Ruby if she got within ten feet!” Suddenly Nora’s face shifted, her eyes widening and her smiled forming a huge grin before she shouted,

“I HAVE AN IDEA!” The whole group stared at her, expecting another joke,

“No trust me, it’s a good one!” She promised. A couple of them shrugged their shoulders, relenting, while others had doubt paint across their faces. The cook took a deep breath before spitting out a jumble of words.

“What if we distract the guards away from the princess somehow! Like pretend to be some assassins or something and give Ruby an opening! You guys can hide in my room! I doubt they’d search there, plus I have a bunch of booby traps in case!” Gears began to turn as her friends process everything they just heard. Would that work? Ruby didn’t know how smart or observant the guard were but she was willing to test her luck just to see if her new friend was okay. She worried about her, enough to attempt a crazy idea from Nora of all people.

“That… could work.” She voiced aloud for the room to hear. It seemed like some of them were on board -such as Sun, Nora, Ren, and herself-, while the rest were hesitant.

“This all seems a bit risky, but I suppose helping just a little wouldn’t hurt.” The knight commented with Jaune looking at her, baffled at her words.

“Pyrrha! You could get in serious trouble for this!” His mentor shrugged her shoulders with a rebellious smile. The squire turned back to his friends, 

“You’re all insane! Who’s even going to be bait?!” A shiver ran down the boys back as all eyes turned to him. 

A mixed sense of hope and dread filled Ruby’s heart as her friends debated between themselves. A part of her felt guilty for making them risk their jobs, but she couldn’t get the idea of Weiss, alone in her room, out of her head. Everything would be fine, she would keep telling herself. Everything would be  _ fine _ .

* * *

“This is so not fine, Ruby!” Yang hadn’t been too happy when her sister let her in on her scheme. Honestly, Ruby knew she should’ve just kept it to herself, considering where the blonde stood in terms of the princess.

When the baker had first approached her, Yang wasn’t any help at all, saying everything that bordered on an “I told you so”. Apparently news spread fast to some parts of the castle and when Yang had heard talk of a girl in red getting kicked out of the princess’s room, she decided to listen.

“You wanna know what people are saying? They think you two are some kind of secret lovers or something! Hell, people are pretty much betting on how many days it takes the princess to call off her marriage!” Ruby’s thoughts took a quick detour when hearing the news, but thankfully her sister’s words brought her back.

“I don’t understand why you’re concerning yourself with this. Didn’t Papa Schnee pretty much say he’d murder you if you made a move on his kid? Why risk it? She can’t be that pretty!”

“It’s not about that! We were becoming friends! Yang, a friend is something she really needs right now and I’m the only one who seems to genuinely care about her!” The older girl closed her eyes sighed in frustration.

“Why is the Ice Princess so important, you got plenty of friends here!”

“But she doesn’t Yang.”

“Ruby, not everybody deserves your kindness-”

“Stop. This is exactly why she needs me. It’s because of people like you! You still aren’t listening to me! Don’t you trust me to make my own decisions? I don’t know why I thought I could talk to you about this. I guess I thought you’d put aside your own opinions and actually help me. I-I’m going back inside, please don’t follow me. I’ll be waiting for when you want to start acting like a big sister.”

* * *

“...when you want to start acting like a big sister.”

It felt like someone had punched her in the gut while ripping out her heart. The way her sister’s eyes glossed over with unshed tears made her instantly regret everything she’d ever done to hurt her. It took all Yang’s willpower to not follow her.

“It’s okay if you need a break. I can handle things for a while.” Cardin was surprisingly thoughtful underneath all the grime and soot of the day’s work. Yang slowly nodded and headed for the side entrance, waiting to give Ruby some space before she went in.

She thought about heading to her room but her sister could be there, as well as almost everywhere else except for the third floor, where the blonde was positive were some empty rooms. She had heard people talking about how they were pretty much break rooms as long as you could come up with an excuse to be there. Half the guards were stupidly loyal while the other half couldn’t care less about the Prince, but protected everyone else. It was a matter of luck who was stationed on the highest floor, considering the guard rotations were kept secret.

Yang let out a sigh of relief when she saw a mop of blonde hair and a scraggly body.

“Psst! Jaune!” The mop of hair turned to her, causing his armor to scrape together. The sound of metal fighting metal was ear piercing and if Yang had been paying attention, she’d have been in utter horror when she realized that she’d made most of the armor in the castle and Jaune was ruining her baby.

“Yang? Why are you here?” She clasped her hands together in a begging stance and put on her best imitation of Ruby’s puppy face.

“Can I please nap in one of the empty rooms? I promise not to tell Pyrrha about the time in the stable and the-”

“OKAY!” The boy was as red as his mentor’s hair which was truly impressive. Yang knew she should’ve felt bad using an embarrassing moment against him but she had nothing else to blackmail him with and she knew how much of a people pleaser Jaune was.

“Thanks, buddy!”

* * *

Weiss was expecting a normal walk leaving the library. She had just finished her tutoring and brushing up on some of Vale’s history, regardless of how her tutors explained what a waste of time it was for a princess to learn about her new kingdom.

So there she was, exiting the library as usual. Nothing seemed off at first and her personal guards were still behind her. 

And there was a small explosion. Weiss could immediately recognize the signature smell of active fire dust, which was interesting considering that dust was an uncommon occurrence in Vale. She finally turned to the source and spotted two cloaked figures, running around throwing small portions of the hazardous material. What puzzled the princess was how terrible their aim was. If their goal was to turn her to ash, there were failing miserably. 

Her guards quickly ran after them, chasing them through the castle halls. Apparently leaving Weiss defenseless to chase after some hooligans was their idea of protection. 

So Weiss stood there, unsure what to do when she felt a familiar hand grab hers and ran. Her only choice was to follow along, catching glimpses of red and black as they ran down the servant stairs.

They ended up in the basement, a place Weiss had never been and for good reasons. She found the place to be creepy and disgusting. The place was completely concrete, from its floors to its walls to its ceilings. The area was slightly damp as well, causing a chilly atmosphere. Was this really where the prince kept his servants?

The princess didn’t have time to dwell on that because suddenly there were moving again and running into one of the occupied rooms.

“Watch your step, I don’t know what kind of traps Nora has in here.” The princess finally slowed down and process what just happened. There was fire then running and now she was in a room with potential dangers and Ruby Rose sitting on what had to be the most uncomfortable cot in the world.

The princess watched her feet zig zag through the various innocent looking objects decorating the floor to meet Ruby and gracefully plop down beside her.

“Hi.” It had been the first time she’d genuinely smiled in four days and of course it was thanks to Ruby.

“Hey.”

“Did you just kidnap me?” The baker responded with a cheeky smile.

“I prefer the term rescued.” They both let out a laugh but silence shortly took over. They air grew tense with unsaid words.

“I’m sorry-”

“I must apologize-” The two smiled at their synchronized responses before Ruby spoke,

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m the reason why you’re pretty much being held captive.” Weiss could only frown at her friend blaming herself.

“Ruby, it’s my fault that you’re being punished. You have my father’s guards watching you!” She was so upset when she first saw them. It was so typical of her father to deem someone as innocent as Ruby a threat because she was nice to Weiss. Friends were a weakness and a Schnee can’t be weak. Ruby was making her weak and her father tried to fix that.

“Hey it’s not so bad! I got them to stay out of the kitchen while I’m working! I take cleanliness very seriously.” Of course the girl would take being monitored like a criminal so well.

“Ruby…”

“I don’t like not seeing you. It was like the funnest part of my day!” The sentiment stain her cheek pink. She always seemed to blush around Ruby. There was most likely something wrong with her, despite her near perfect health but that was a concern for another time.

“You know funnest isn’t a real word.”

“It is with you! Come on Weiss, I literally staged a kidnapping so we could talk!”

“That was very dangerous by the way! Who were in the cloaks?”

“Jaune and Nora. I’ll admit that Nora went a bit overboard with the fire dust but to be fair I didn’t even know she had any. The original plan was to pretend that one of the sparring swords were real and attack you. But this worked too.”

“Ruby Rose you are friends with some of the strangest people.”

“That includes you, dummy.”

“I am not a dummy! I’ll have you know that I get excellent grades!”

“I’m just messing with you, princess! So how long do you think it’ll take for them to find us?”

“I’m hoping for never. Even if this bed is extremely uncomfortable.” She could feel her spine start to ache at the thought of sleeping there. That and she was still in a corset that was slowly strangling her.

“Hey! I have to sleep on one of these! Not all of us can be privileged.”

“Do you want to switch places? Be “Weiss Schnee: Princess hated by both her family and her people”. That sounds like an unfair trade.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.”

That sat for a while. It still puzzled the princess at how nice Ruby was treating her. Surely she had heard the rumors. After all, she was constantly talked about within the castle. But it was possible that the girl hadn’t believed them considering how much of a saint she deemed her. The princess took as deep a breath as could, metally preparing herself for what she was about to do, which might just end the only real friendship she’s ever had.

“Ruby, I’m going to tell you something about me that might make you see me differently. It seems to be the reason people hate me. I want you to know that what I’m telling you is the complete truth.” What was she doing? This could only end horribly.

“Okay…”

“Two years ago... 

* * *

_ It took a lot to make the castle’s main ballroom feel crowded. It was a large room after all, with massive stain glass windows that stretched along the walls, depicting snowy landscapes and scenes much too gorgeous for the Schnee Castle. Weiss imagines that those windows had been put in place when her ancestral home was actually a home instead of a bitter fortress. She was sure back then the ballrooms would’ve been filled with people that were wanted there instead of the pawns that were currently in their midst. _

_ She couldn’t believe it when her father announced that he was planning a gathering for that night. She knew he was cruel and vindictive but this took the cake. It was like he didn’t remember what day it was. That or he didn’t care, the latter was far more likely. _

_ Weiss had felt suffocated that whole evening in her constrictive dress and uncomfortable heels. All she wanted to do was isolate herself in her room and wish for her sister to come home, much like she did every year on that day. She at least wanted to know if she was okay. She wanted to wake up and have this all be one horrible dream. _

_ The princess stood in silent protest in the farthest and darkest corner she could find, hoping to avoid as many people as possible. So far it had been working, but like most things, it didn’t last. _

_ “Good evening Your Highness, my name is Henry, son of Lord Marigold. Care to tell me why such a beautiful girl like yourself isn’t center stage tonight?” Of course it had to be one of her many potential suitors that found her and she was definitely not in the mood to exchange pleasantries and fake smiles, regardless of how charming he thought himself to be. _

_ “Just seeking a bit of privacy, I’m not too big on these types of parties.” She hoped that the burning glare she sent his way would scare him off. Unfortunately he was a bit of an idiot. _

_ “Then allow me to keep you company, I’d hate for you to be all by yourself.” That was the point, to be alone. It was bad enough that the small girl was already boiling with rage due to her father’s actions, but any more aggravation was bound to send her over the edge. Blue eyes found one of the grandfather clocks located by the entrance and got antsy at the hour that remained. How long do people need to boost each others egos? _

_ “Wouldn’t you rather talk to one of the other girls. Surely, their more worth your time.” Please leave. Please for the sake of all that is holy, leave. _

_ “Why would I do that when I only wish to speak to you?” She could feel her patience draining faster by the minute. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? _

_ Then she felt it. His hand touch the pale skin of her shoulder. It was way too warm and uninviting. She felt herself go rigid, as still as a statue. Her fingers twitched, tense with how livid she was on the inside.  _

_ She didn’t mean for it to happen. She just wanted to move his hand away from her. She didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean it as soon as heard the crack, the pop, and finally the scream. Instantly all eyes were on her, including the burning stare of her father. What had she done? She still didn’t know what happened. Where did all those sounds came from and why was everyone looking at her. _

* * *

“I heard it took hours to reassemble his arm. They said he was lucky he would be able to still use it.”

“Weiss…”

“Father was so mad. I remember him pulling me into his study. I had his fingerprints bruised into my skin for weeks.” Ruby’s heart slowly broke when she saw glossed over blue eyes look up at her. Her smile was so sad, like she tried to find humor in her story but couldn’t. Ruby turned to face the other girl directly, watching her try to hide her pain. She was probably about to break so many rules but at that point she didn’t care about anything other than the crying girl in front of her. She pulled her into a searing hug. The princess flinched at first but slowly melted into her arms, burying her nose into the crook of Ruby’s neck. A wet spot grew where Weiss cried and Ruby felt helpless to do anything but rub soft circles on the girl’s back, whispering things like “It’s okay” and “I'm right here”.

“Ruby?” Her name was muffled but completely understood.

“Yeah?” The princess turned her head so her breath came directly on the baker’s neck. Ruby had to remind herself that Weiss was sad and this was not the time to be thinking of how close her lips were and how soft she was or how she was clinging to her and- No!

“Thank you.” Her voice came out broken and small, so unlike the Weiss that Ruby knew. It felt so… right. Like she was the only one who got to see the vulnerable side to this intimidating but beautiful person.

“Anytime, Weiss.”


End file.
